HOOLIGAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hooligan mean? 

• HOOLIGAN (noun)
  The noun HOOLIGAN has 1 sense:

1. a cruel and brutal fellow

  Familiarity information: HOOLIGAN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HOOLIGAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A cruel and brutal fellow

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

bully; hooligan; roughneck; rowdy; ruffian; tough; yob; yobbo; yobo

Hypernyms ("hooligan" is a kind of...):

aggressor; assailant; assaulter; attacker (someone who attacks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hooligan"):

bullyboy (a swaggering tough; usually one acting as an agent of a political faction)

muscle; muscleman (a bully employed as a thug or bodyguard)

skin; skinhead (a member of any of several British or American groups consisting predominantly of young people who shave their heads; some engage in white supremacist and anti-immigrant activities and this leads to the perception that all skinheads are racist and violent)

plug-ugly; tough guy (someone who bullies weaker people)

 Context examples 

Well, Mrs. Lucca, said the prosaic Gregson, laying his hand upon the lady’s sleeve with as little sentiment as if she were a Notting Hill hooligan, I am not very clear yet who you are or what you are; but you’ve said enough to make it very clear that we shall want you at the Yard.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)